A euphoric Nansemond River High School boys’ soccer team collectively jogged up, down and around the soccer field at Christopher Newport University on Friday evening, soaking up every second of what it had just accomplished.

The No. 1 Warriors battled No. 3 Denbigh High School in a hard-fought Ironclad Conference tournament championship game and emerged with a 1-0 victory. It was the team’s first title win in school history.

Nansemond River coach Dustin Tordoff summed up his team’s performance in one word: “Awesome.”

“They played with all heart; it was everything I’ve asked them to do,” he said. “They were smart, they got their lead, and they held it. They shut out a team with the Hampton Roads’ leading goal-scorer.”

And they did it by keep close tabs on that scorer, Elcor Castillo, at all times, along with one of his similarly talented teammates.

Warriors coaches could routinely be heard shouting out the jersey numbers of the Patriots’ key players whenever the action shifted to NR’s side of the field.

“They have a couple of players that you’ve got to make sure you account for at all times, so that’s what we were making sure,” Tordoff said.

Sophomore Jacob Baker, freshman Maycol Reyes, junior Brandon Dowden and senior Austin Heyman led a strong defensive effort by Nansemond River.

Consequently, all that was needed at the other end of the field was a single goal, and junior Brayan Morales provided it in the 48th minute of the game.

Tordoff noted that a nice ball was played down the left sideline to junior Daniel Tallarico, who then kicked the ball inside.

“Rico whipped it in — just perfectly split through the defenders — right onto Brayan’s right foot, and he was square on the goal — just placed it in perfect,” Tordoff said. “It was a beautiful goal.”

The Warriors have had an intense rivalry with the Patriots this year. When they faced each other during the regular season, the game went to overtime before Nansemond River prevailed 3-2.

Morales said the key to winning on Friday was “to play fair and to play long balls.”

Acknowledging the Patriots’ talent, he said, “They’ve got good players, but we are better.”

Being the best in the conference had a special significance for the Warriors, who came up short in excruciating fashion in last year’s tournament title game. King’s Fork High School defeated Nansemond River 2-1 in quadruple overtime.

In identifying the deciding factor of Friday’s game, Tordoff said, “I think it was probably feeling what it was like to watch the other team celebrate last year, because most of the guys are returners. It really helped them to push through it, because we were in a very tight game last year, and they know what it’s like now. So, this year, they were able to know what it’s like and then push a little bit farther.”

Asked what it meant to have led the team and to have seen it win its first title, he said, “Everything. It’s awesome to get to watch them celebrate.”

The Warriors (11-5-2) will now host Midlothian High School in Monday’s Region 4A South quarterfinal.

“It’s going to be an absolute dogfight,” Tordoff said. “They’re not going to have any idea what we’ve got, we have no idea what they’ve got.”